Presses for drilling flooring strips



May 20, 1958 w. A. BOETTCHER 2,835,290

PRESSES FOR DRILLING FLOORING STRIPS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 10,1953 1Q 5302725 gs.

May 20, 1958 w. A. BOETTCHER PRESSES FOR DRILLING FLOORING STRIPS FiledAug. 10, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 5 w. A. BOETTCHER 2,835,290

PRES-SE3 FOR DRILLING FLOORING STRIPS Filed Aug. 10, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheeta 1 V5 T. 3C 2 /IZZ A. 60682372 6? PRESSES FOR DRILLING FLOORING STRIPSWilliam A. Boettcher, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 10, 1953, Serial No. 373,157

7 Claims. (Cl. 144-107 My invention relates to machines for drilling thebeads of flooring strips at an angle in longitudinal sequence in orderto facilitate the driving of nails to secure the floor ing withoutsplitting the latter. Machines for this purpose have been devised in thepast, but they are specially constructed and rather complicated, so thattheir cost is necessarily high. Thu-s, advantages secured by drillingthe flooring strips are so greatly offset by the expense entailed in thepurchase of such a machine that the facility thereof is dispensed withas a matter of economy. However, the desirability of drilling theflooring strips has prompted me to look into the facility of existingmachinery for conversion to the special function, and one'object of thepresent invention is to utilize the structure of the standard,floor-type drill press as a basis or foundation adaptable to the desireduse.

A further object is to utilize certain units now forming part of a drillpress for supporting and securin-g'apparatus designed to receive andfeed flooring strips.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for drilling flooring stripswhich employs the basic drilling mechanism of the drill press with acontrolling adjunct.

An additional object is to provide an apparatus into which flooringstrips may be fed from one end and automatically advanced and drilledwithout any furthermanual assistance.

A still further object is to provide a power feed for the strips whichis positive and applied to the groove of the strip, so that the surfacesthereof may not be marred or otherwise injured by the feed.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which is adjustable to receiveflooring strips of different cross-sec'- tional sizes.

With the above objects in view, a better understanding of the inventionmay be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig.lis a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2-is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, enlarged sectionstaken on the lines4--4 and 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged duplication of a portion in the upper part of Fig.1, showing the automatic strip feed in greater detail;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the showing in Fig. 6 from the left hand side;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the position of certainparts changed;

Fig. 9 is a' section'taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a cam-controlled mecha- 1115111.

In accordance with the foregoing, specific reference to the drawingsindicates the post of a standard, floor-type drill press at 15, and thebase thereof at 16'. The type of drill press under considerationreceives a bed plate for the deposit of the work, but for the purpose ofthe present' invention this facility is provided in three instances.

2,835,29ii Patented May 2t), 195i Thus, Fig. 1 shows that a bed plate 20is carried by the post of the drill press in a low position, a bed plate21 being carried in a higher position, and a bed plate 22 being carriedin a still higher position. Each of these bed plates is extended from abracket 23 carried by a clamp 24 which is slidable on the post to anydesired height and made fast by a lever 25.

The bed plate is designed to carry the power unit for the strip feedingmechanism, while the bed plate 21' supports means transmitting the driveto such mechanism. The bed plate 22, however, is tilted at an angle, asseen inFig. 4, and is designed to support the guide in which the floorstrip is movable at intervals between the drilling operations.

The drilling mechanism employs the conventional m0- t-or 25a andtransmission gearing 26, in order to drive the chuck 27 and bit 28, thechuck and bit being movable downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1in order to drill a hole obliquely in the bead of a flooring strip 30positioned horizontally below the bit.

The hearing strip is fed into the machine bybeing inserted into one endof a guide, which isa horizontal tube 32 of rectangular cross-section,such end being the one at the left as seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 indicatesthat the tube 32 follows the contour of the flooring strip 30 closely,whereby to form a proper guide for the longitudinal feed thereof throughthe tube. The latter is formed with lugs 33 projecting from its upperside near the remote end, such lugs being bolted at 34 to the bed plate22 in order to support the tube 32 on the same. Itis seen that the tubeis made with a cutout 35 on the upper side at a "point between the lugs33 in order to expose the upper edge of the flooring strip 30, suchedgecontaining the bead 36; as seen in Fig. 4. Thus, with the strip disposedin the tilted position shown in this figure, the bit 28 may he made todescend during rotation and drill a hole in the base of the bead, asindicated in Fig. 4.

The bed plate 22 has an extension 38 on the opposite side of the post15, such extension forming a backing for the receiving portion of thetube 32. It is intended that an automatic feed engage the strip after ithas been inserted into the tube, in order to advance the strip'a' givendistance, such as a foot, and fix the intervals at which the-holes aredrilled in the strip. The element mainly inv'olved in the feed is awheel 40 made with ratchet-type teeth 41 over a portion of itsperiphery. The wheel is journaled in the companion plates 43 and 44 of afram straddling the tube 32; and the same is made with 'a slot 45 in itsbottom for the entry of the upper portion of the wheel. The latter islocated in registration with the groove 46 of the flooring strip 30 andenters the same into biting engagement with the floor of the groove. Theupper edge of the strip is backed by an initial top roller 48 carried bythe frame 43-44; and a similar remote roller 49 is carried by the bedplate 22 over the upper edge of the strip. The rollers 48 and 49 aremade of rubber and designed to impose pressure on the strip in order tokeep its initial portion in engagement with the feed wheel- 40 and itsadvancing portion fast in the guiding tube '32 when the drill bit 28descends. Fig. 6 shows that aportion 50 of the feed Wheel is plain, andit is apparent that a partial turn of the feed wheel from the positionshown in Fig. 6 in the direction indicated by the arcuate arrows willcause the Wheel to bite into the strip 30 and advance it the prescribeddistance in the tube 32. As the toothed part of the wheel departs fromthe strip, the latter remains fixed, and it is obvious that at this timethe drill bit is caused to descend an'ddrill the holein the strip.

The operation of the feed wheel 40 originateswith a suitably gearedmotor supported by the bed plate 20. A belt drive-56 leads upwardly fromthe motor to a cross-shaft 57 journaled in bearings 53 on the bed plate21, as seen inFig. 3. The shaft 57 is followed by a shaft 58 in thedirection of the spindle 69 of the feed wheel, universal joints 61 and62 being interposed in the line of shafts in order to accommodate thedrive to the position of the feed wheel. The latter is thus operatedcontinuously when the machine is used.

The periodical descent of the drill bit is procured by a branch drivefrom the cross-shaft 57. Thus, Fig. 3 shows that such shaft and a branchshaft 65 are connected by meshing bevel gears 66 and 67. As seen inFigs. 2 and it), the shaft 65 leads through a slot 7 ii in a verticalloop bar '71 to terminate with a cam '72 on the remote side of the bar.The bottom portion thereof has a freely journaled roller 73 which issubject to the action of the cam 72 when the shaft 65 is in rotation ina manner to periodically depress the bar '71. The same extends upwardlywith a rod 75 which is linked at 76 to a cross-arm 77. The latter ispivoted with one end to a drill post bracket 77a, as indicated at 78,while the other end is formed with a horizontal slot '79 to receive aside pin S'Il from the chuck 27 of the drill. Thus, each turn of theshaft 65 creates a down pull on the cross-arm 77 and a drillingoperation by the bit 28, and it is understood that the ratio of thegearing is designed to procure this operation in synchronism with theforward feed of the flooring strip 30 at the desired intervals.

It is proper that a point be located in the strip feed which fixes thedistance of the first hole from the leading end of the strip, and suchpoint is represented by a pin which projects into the side of the tube32 as a stop for the leading end of the strip. The spindle 6i alsocarries a cam wheel 91 which has a peripheral side wing 92 at one point.The face of the cam wheel 91 isnorrnally in engagement with a collar 93carried by the pin 90 and has no motive effect on the 'pin. However,when the side wing 92 of the cam wheel meets the collar 93, the latteris urged away from the tube 32, as shown in Fig. 8, withdrawing the pin90 from the latter; and the collar 93 is made to bear against the camwheel 91 by a pair of draw springs 94 connected to a cross-pin 95passing through the pin 90. The action just mentioned permits theflooring strip to be inserted into the tube to a given point before thewheel feed takes hold, so that the intervals at which the strip isdrilled are spaced equally from the leading end of the strip. Thecontinued feed of the latter is of course a bar to the advance of thepin 90 into the tube 32 as long as the strip is lodged therein, so thatthe pin cannot become a bar or obstruction while a strip is contained inthe tube.

Flooring strips come in several cross-sectional sizes, and the novelmachine is adapted for the changes so occasioned. Each strip sizeobviously requires a tube 32 to fit the same, and the frame 44-43therefore carries upper and lower cross-bars ltltl and 101 for engagingthe tube between them. Thus, the upper part of the tube carries anarch-shaped shield 102 as a base for a pair of screws 103 which arethreaded into the cross-bar 100 according to the position of the tube;and the latter rests on lower screws 104 which are threaded through thelower bar 101 and made fast by nuts 165. The adjustments of the screws103 and 104 also deal with the setting of the wheel 40 in relation tothe new flooring strip, such adjustments operating to lift or lower theframe 44-43 for this purpose. The frame is made rigid by theinterposition of spacers 106 between the plates 44 and 43, such spacersbeing secured by bolts 107. While the position of the flooring strip maybe considered fairly rigid during travel and at the stopping point, suchposition is made more accurate by the provision of side rollers 1% and109, these being of rubber and designed to take up any slack in thelateral position of the strip. The latter thus assumes the same positionat every drilling point, eliminating vibration and tendencies to breakthe drill bit.

When the machine is to be used. the motors 25a and 55 are turned on anda strip of flooring inserted into the guide tube 32 to the extent of thestop pin 90. The feed wheel 49 now takes hold of the strip to advance itperiodically the proper distance. The drill 27 will operateautomatically to make the holes in the strip at intervals correspondingto the feed of the same.

It will now be apparent that the novel machine employs a conventionalsupport for its operating units in the form of the well known floor-typedrill press, eliminating the necessity of designing a special machinefor this purpose. The post of a floor-type drill press is designed as asturdy and fixed support for all the instrumentalities forming part ofthe press, and the main units involved comprise the several bed plateswhich are not only rigidly attached to the post, but also are rotatableto any lateral position and even tiltable by means forming a part of thedrill press. Thus, the supports required for the strip drillingapparatus are provided for attachment in any desired number to the postof the drill press. As arranged, the supports provide for the mountingof the strip guiding tube in a position designed to receive theautomatic feed and the drilling operation'in the most convenient manner.Further, one of the bed plates is employed as a support for the gearleading to the auto matic strip feed, and a simple connection is madefrom this gearing for the timing of the drill action in accordance withthe stopping points of the strip. Further, the guiding tube for thestrip carries its own frame, the latter including the support for theautomatic feed and adjusting means for different sized tubes. T116 unitsof the mechanism are therefore grouped compactly in relation to thesupporting post of the drill press and employ factors which are eitherfound as standard or attachable to the post by simple application, orwhich may be fabricated by conventional machine methods. A drill pressis thus had which employs basic supports to create an odd arrangement ofinstrumentalities for the particular type of work, using existing partsin most instances and saving the design and expense of a special machinefor the purpose.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minorchanges or refinements may be made therein without departing from itsprinciple, and I reserve the right to employ all such changes andrefinements as may come within the scope and spirit of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. An attachment for upright drill presses for drilling flooring strips,wherein the drill press has a supporting post surmounted by a drillingunit, comprising a bed plate clamped to the supporting post in a tiltedposition, a guide for a flooring strip carried by said bed plate, asecond bed plate clamped to said supporting post in a horizontalposition below the first bed plate, means mounted on the second bedplate for feeding the flooring strip periodically through said guide,said drilling unit including a drill operable in respect to the flooringstrip, said guide being a tube of a cross-section similar to that of theflooring strip, said means including a feed wheel for the flooringstrip, a journal'for the feed wheel, a frame extended from the journalto clamp on both sides of said tube for the support of the feed wheelfrom the same, and means for adjusting the frame crosswise of the tubefor varying the spacing between the feed wheel and the strip.

2. An attachment for upright drill presses for drilling flooring strips,wherein the drill press has a supporting post surmounted by a drillingunit, comprising a bed plate clamped to the supporting post in a tiltedposition, a guide for a flooring strip carried by said bed plate, asecond bed plate clamped to said supporting post in a horizontalposition below the first bed plate, means mounted on the second bedplate for feeding the flooring strip periodically through said guide,said drilling unit including a drill operable in respect to the flooringstrip, said guide being a tube of a cross-section similar to that of theflooring strip, said means including a feed wheel engageable with as thefloor of the groove in said flooring strip, a journal for the feedwheel, a frame extended from the journal to clamp on both sides of saidtube for the support of the feed wheel from the same, and rubber rollerscarried by the frame to back the edge of the flooring strip oppositefrom the grooved one and facilitate the engagement of the strip with thefeed wheel.

3. An attachment for upright drill presses for drilling flooring strips,wherein the drill press has a supporting post surmounted by a drillingunit, comprising a bed plate clamped to the supporting post in a tiltedposition, a guide for a flooring strip carried by said bed plate, asecond bed plate clamped to said supporting posts in a horizontalposition below the first bed plate, means mounted on the second bedplate for feeding the flooring strip periodically through said guide,said drilling unit including a drll operable in respect to the flooringstrip, said means including a feed wheel engageable with the strip andeffective to advance the same a given distance during each revolution ofthe wheel, said guide being a tube of a crosssection similar to that ofthe strip, a stop element present in said tube to limit the insertion ofa flooring strip to a desired point when the feed wheel is inactive inrespect to the flooring strip, means for withdrawing said stop element,and a connection from the feed wheel to said withdrawing means effectiveto operate the same when the feed wheel assumes engagement with theflooring strip.

4. An attachment for upright drill presses for drilling flooring strips,wherein the drill press has a supporting post surmounted by a drillingunit, comprising a bed plate clamped to the supporting post in a tiltedposition, a guide for a flooring strip carried by said bed plate, asecond bed plate clamped to said supporting post in a horizontalposition below the first bed plate, means mounted on the second bedplate for feeding the flooring strip periodically through said guide,said drilling unit including a drill operable in respect to the flooringstrip, said means including a feed wheel engageable with the strip andeffective to advance the same a given distance during each revolution ofthe Wheel, said guide being a tube of a cross-section similar to that ofthe strip, a stop element present in said tube to limit the insertion ofa flooring strip to a desired point when the feed Wheel is inactive inrespect to the flooring strip, means for withdrawing said stop element,and a connection from the feed wheel to said withdrawing means effectiveto operate the same when the feed wheel assumes engagement with theflooring strip, said stop element being a spring-operated side pin, andsaid connection comprising a cam carried by the shaft of the feed wheeland efiective to back the side pin out of the tube during saidengagement.

5. An attachment for upright drill presses for drilling flooring strips,wherein the drill press has a supporting post surmounted by a drillingunit, comprising a bed plate clamped to the supporting post in a tiltedposition, a guide for a flooring strip carried by said bed plate, asecond bed plate clamped to said supporting post in a horizontalposition below the first bed plate, means mounted on the second bedplate for feeding the flooring strip periodically through said guide,said drilling unit including a drill operable in respect to the flooringstrip, said guide being one of an assortment of tubes corresponding incrosssection to flooring strips of difierent cross-sectional sizes, saidmeans including a feed wheel for the flooring strip, a journal for thefeed wheel mountable on the selected tube, and means for adjusting thetransverse spacing of the journal relative to the tube to procure theWorking engagement of the feed wheel with the chosen flooring strip.

6. An attachment for upright drill presses for drilling fiooring strips,wherein the drill press has a supporting post surmounted by a drillingunit, comprising a bed plate clamped to the supporting post in a tiltedposition, a guide for a flooring strip carried by said bed plate, asecond bed plate clamped to said supporting post in a horizontalposition below the first bed plate, means mounted on the second bedplate for feeding the flooring strip periodically through said guide,said drilling unit including a drill operable in respect to the flooringstrip, said guide being of an assortment of tubes corresponding incrosssection to flooring strips of different cross-sectional sizes, saidmeans including a feed wheel for the flooring strip, a journal for thefeed wheel mountable on the selected tube, means for adjusting thetransverse spacing of the journal relative to the tube to procure theworking engagement of the feed wheel with the chosen flooring strip,said adjusting means comprising side projections from the journal, andscrews from the same directed to the edge portions of the guide.

7. An attachment for upright drill presses for drilling flooring strips,wherein the drill presshas a supporting post surmounted by a drillingunit, comprising a bed plate clamped to the supporting post in a tiltedposition, a guide for a flooring strip carried by said bed plate, asecond bed plate clamped to said supporting post in a horizontalposition below the first b ed plate, means mounted on the second bedplate for feeding the flooring strip periodically through said guide,said drilling unit including a drill operable in respect to the flooringstrip, said guide being one of an assortment of tubes corresponding incross-section to flooring strips of difierent cross-sectional sizes,said means including a feed wheel for the flooring strip, a journal forthe feed wheel, a frame extended from the journal to clamp on both sidesof the selected tube for the support of the feed wheel from the same,and means for adjusting the transverse spacing of the journal relativeto the tube to procure the working engagement of the feed wheel with thechosen flooring strip.

References @ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS443,666 Bryant Dec. 30, 1890 454,654 iopacelr June 23, 1891 498,555Kelchner May 30, 1893 745,260 Stuart Nov. 24, 1903 986,782 Trogdon Mar.14, 1911 1,041,343 Pinltett Oct. 15, 1912 1,667,022 Wood Apr. 24, 19282,333,025 Mayer Oct. 26, 1943

